[omniusovermind]

Just curious why so many of you want to do this. I also own an actual e-reader, the original kind that uses the e-ink and actually looks like the pages of a book, no back lighting or screen glare. It's way easier on your eyes, far lighter, and much more comfortable. I can't speak for you guys, but when I pick up my playbook I want visual multimedia like movies, websites, games etc, not a book. The closest I'll get to a book on my PB are comics, just because they're more eye candy than reading.

[playbookster]

i have a few books on my PB but thats definitely not why i bought it. I prefer physical books, always. I had a kindle and gave it to my mom. Just rather have the real deal. Plus i like collecting

[FSeverino]

well... a brand new kobo touch is $140 and the VOX is $199.
so if you get the 16GB PB you are paying $0 to $60 more then these devices and getting A LOT MORE for that money.

I have one of the original sony ereaders and i LOVE it. I wasnt going to pay $200 to upgrade and then also buy the PB. The PB was a purchase I made bc I wanted the media, internet and all the other functions... but since I have got it ive read at least 2 hours every night on it.

Something else to consider... if you buy the Kobo touch then you would need a reading light (at least i do for my sony one bc i dont have a lamp) and those are around $20 - $30. So, really... for $30 more... EVERYONE should buy the PB!

[omniusovermind]

too much reading in the dark using back lighting is eyeball homicide pal
It's probably even worse for you than watching TV in the dark, because you're up close and looking at tiny letters.

Seriously though, my eyesight is one of my few sources of pride. I'm in my 40+ years of 20/20 vision and I don't want to do anything that will change that sooner than mother nature will.

[FF22]

A couple of possible reasons - the main one being BECAUSE YOU CAN.

Simplifies life - only one device rather than a pb and a reader like Kindle.

Allows you to read for a bit, switch to some multi-media, play games, come back to reading.

But if definitely is harsher on the eyes and obviously, compared to weeks of battery life on a kindle, you have finite time between charges.

[anon(226560)]

Why? Because unlike eReaders the PB is adept at more than one thing - I can play some games, watch a movie, read books and comics...

I also don't like carrying more devices than I have to and I honestly don't find e-ink displays that much easier to read (but that's probably just me).

[OpelBlitz]

Well, the reason is I already have a PlayBook and it's reasonably suitable for reading on the go.

Otherwise, I would have gotten a Kindle long ago.

[BearSnout]

OP you're right, there is no substitute than e-ink for serious reading. I have a Kindle and wouldn't be without it.

However, for light reading and things I use my PB too. e.g. I am doing a course at the moment that consists of many PDFs and there's little point in my carrying two devices when one will do, especially as I can type notes and write my papers on the PB too.

[urbanguy]

I have a Kobo e-ink ereader and I have a PB. I use the PB Kobo app exclusively for my ereading. Here's why:

• I read in dimly lit rooms a lot
• I pick up interesting concepts when I read, so I'm always going out to the web to check something out
• I only have to carry one multipurpose device when travelling (music, movies, reading, web)

To each their own. Every so often I fire up the Kobo Touch and get my books loaded on it ... but that only lasts for a day or two before I go back to the PB. I may use the Kobo Touch more in the summer. Maybe.

[RicThot]

There are no e-reader out there that will open big PDF books or if they do they just lack the power to use them appropriately. Most of my books are in PDF format (programming and technical books).

Also with the right app, the PlayBook does a very good job with epubs and the backlight is not an issue at all.

[BBburner]

I think the PlayBook is a near perfect tool for e-reading. Yes, it is overkill but, in fact, since it can do other things, as time goes by I will more and more use it for other things. Book Reader is a great app and allows customization of the display (font, font size, background colour, etc) that makes reading very easy on the eyes. I have an Aluratek eReader, and the playbook provides a better experience.

[gwinegarden]

Because I don't want to own two devices. Plus, I tend to read real books.

[hpjrt]

I agree with the OP but I have had my Sony PRS 650 for about a year prior to getting my PB. Unlike one of the other poster, however, I have been wearing glasses since I was 6 so eye strain is definitely something I try to avoid.

I read a lot ... So the e-ink screen is ideal for me ... Even better than a physical book because I can bump up the type size should I need to do so.

That said, the PB is a great form for things like cookbooks and colourful children's books.

[Barredbard]

Why in the world would I carry two devices? My tablet gets more play as far is reading is concerned because I can decide to read on a whim, and it is always with me. I refuse to carry both a Kindle and the Playbook; that's surely overkill.

[Nasedo73]

I'm using Kindle for books reading, but occasionally I'm using an iPad as well as PlayBook to read some documents, manuals or maybe something short... but, for proper, longer book reading I will stay with Kindle or maybe a future, e-ink book reader.

[Tomcat_Alley]

I have a PB, and i have a Sony PRD-505. ideally i carry both, ideally i do my reading on the 505. and for the most part, this is how my life operates. but sometimes im constrained for carrying space, and have to make sacrifices on how many devices + chargers i can carry and on occasion the 505 has had to be left behind, so even though its not as good reading experience, it is more than capable of filling in

likewise, the recent price drop, puts it in the price range of the Kobo Vox and Kindle Fire. however, it better CPU, more RAM, minimum of double the storage capacity, and far better and more diverse alternative uses than the similar products. with me being in the UK, and the Kindle Fire amd nook not being released here, lets go with a comparison to the VOX, Kobo Vox vs Playbook 16gb which had kobo pre installed? for the same price? no brainer really. the playbook has every feature the vox has and more, for the same price.

Since the Fire is the Tablet most compared to the PlayBook, its only natural that ereading was one of the things in mind when many people purchaced it. and i must say, as big of a fan i am of the PB, i readily admit the ereading side lets it down, anyone coming from an old school Kindle wont have access to previous bought books (im taking the ereading populous as a whole here, most of whom wont have the time, patience, or foreknowledge to sideload) even with the kindle app sideloaded, you just dont get the freedom offered by dedicated ereaders.

the Kobo allows only kobo content to be read, sideloaded kindle is pretty restricted too, to play other formats you need to purchace further apps.
the PRS-505 supports BBeB, TXT, RTF, EPUB, PDF, .DOC, RSS, JPEG, GIF, PNG, BMP as well as audio books in MP3 and AAC,
while its possible to play most, if not all of these on the playbook, it no doubt requires splitting up your content across several apps. some of which may not be as enjoyable to use as others. and so for me the Playbook wont defeat an outright ereader for this purpose.

[silversun10]

why not?
geez mind your own business

[omniusovermind]

why not?
geez mind your own business

lmao gotta admit that one caught me off guard

[rustypixel]

I have a Kindle touch that I'm happy with but I also do a 90 minute commute (give or take a few minutes) Monday thru Friday, I wanted something that could offer me a little more and since I have a tablet and a pone, I didn't want yet another Android device. I love my Android 10" tab but there is no way I will carry that big boy around. I was looking at the Kindle Fire and someone here at work brought in their PB and it caught my attention. I recently got the 16 GB and the first thing I did after updating to 2.0 was to side load the Kindle app. Between the movies that I watch on it, the reading and web surfing I do on the bus (tethered to my phone), I'm a happy camper. Sure it's bigger and heavier than my Kindle touch, but I knew what I was getting when I got the PB and as a travel companion it's perfect.

[BrizzadMan]

I have a Kindle - and certainly prefer using it for any reading that is lengthly. For me, a Kindle app on the PlayBook would be a convenience, for whem I'm caught without my Kindle

I could care less about it though, on the PlayBook for this reason: There are too many distractions on the PlayBook - Games, E-mail, Web, etc. - I am not disciplined enough to say no to those things if they are at my fingertips

When I'm on my Kindle - I'm reading.

[berklon]

The Playbook (or any other 7" tablet) is good for reading e-books for short time periods.

But nothing replaces an e-ink device for doing real reading for long periods of time.

I have a Kobo Touch and a PB, but the Kobo Touch is so much easier on the eyes. It's not even close how much better it is for reading. Another huge advantage of the Kobo Touch over the PB is the weight. There's such a big difference in weight and thickness, that I can hold the Kobo for a long time in so many positions and never get tired... whereas the PB gets heavy and awkward fast.
-

[bf109]

I also own a Sony PRS-505 and if we consider an ordinary paperback the only thing better than e-ink is the real book. There are some exceptions though - PDFs. I often read magazines and handbooks with loads of color diagrams and photos. Apart from superb picture quality, you can easily and quickly scroll and zoom them on a tablet device. This is a feature e-ink readers don't have so far.

[omniusovermind]

I have a Kindle - and certainly prefer using it for any reading that is lengthly. For me, a Kindle app on the PlayBook would be a convenience, for whem I'm caught without my Kindle

I could care less about it though, on the PlayBook for this reason: There are too many distractions on the PlayBook - Games, E-mail, Web, etc. - I am not disciplined enough to say no to those things if they are at my fingertips

When I'm on my Kindle - I'm reading.

lol yep, I'm the same way. I know if I had an epub book on my PB I'd end up closing it after a minute to do one or all of the above. I'm weak!

[FSeverino]

too much reading in the dark using back lighting is eyeball homicide pal
It's probably even worse for you than watching TV in the dark, because you're up close and looking at tiny letters.

Seriously though, my eyesight is one of my few sources of pride. I'm in my 40+ years of 20/20 vision and I don't want to do anything that will change that sooner than mother nature will.

Nope, this has been proven false in many studies. It may cause TEMPORARY eye strain, but not PERMANENT damage. Also, now I like it better bc I can be reading and, with THE SAME DEVICE, be connected to my emails and facebook (i dont really get the twitter buzz...) and can respond instantly if need be!

[omniusovermind]

Nope, this has been proven false in many studies. It may cause TEMPORARY eye strain, but not PERMANENT damage. Also, now I like it better bc I can be reading and, with THE SAME DEVICE, be connected to my emails and facebook (i dont really get the twitter buzz...) and can respond instantly if need be!

Point only partially conceded, some doctors note that eye strain may contribute to nearsightedness. Most people who are nearsighted were born that way, but there is evidence that prolonged eye strain can make it worse.